ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

ACRL’s 1990 budget

By JoAn S. Segal ACRL Executive Director

Last year's performance and this year’s projection.

This is the ACRL budget for the current JBL fiscal year, together with last year’s financial report. The report follows the ACRL Strategic Plan, which drives the program of the Association and is supported by its financial structure.

The Mission of ACRL is to foster the profession of academic and research librarianship and to enhance the ability of academic and research libraries to serve effectively the needs of current and potential library users.

Its Goals are:

• to contribute to the total professional development of academic and research librarians;

• to enhance the capability of academic and research libraries to serve the needs of users;

• to promote and speak for the interests of academic and research librarianship;

• to promote study, research, and publication relevant to academic and research librarianship.

The 1988-89 year moved the Association along in carrying out these goals, following the annual operating plan that laid out the year’s activities in terms of the long-range plan. Work on the ACRL Financial Plan was finished in 1989 and the ACRL Planning Committee (Mike Kathman, Chair) and the Budget and Finance Committee (Linda Piele, Chair) created the first Annual Operating Plan and Budget, which incorporates the activities of ACRL planned for the year, together with the resources needed to carry out the plan, thus showing how the Strategic Plan and the Financial Plan provide a basis for running the Association. (Copies of the Annual Operating Plan and Budget or of the Financial Plan are available on request from ACRL.)

ACRL programs (including Choice, 1990 budget

REVENUE
Sources of revenue	1989 Budget	1989 Actual	1990 Budget
Membership dues	$252,030	$240,623	$308,000
Other	—	$1,287	$500
Advisory	—	$492	$500
Awards	$6,120	$17,559	$8,730
Jobline	$3,000	$2,505	$3,500
Subtotal	$261,150	$262,466	$321,230
Publications
Choice	$1,373,270	$1,433,607	$1,453,960
C&RL	$101,950	$115,973	$115,080
C&RL News	$198,045	$243,023	$227,760
RBML	$17,420	$19,868	$19,590
Fast Job Listing Service	$3,780	$3,088	$3,900
Section newsletters	$180	$138	$180
Nonperiodical pubs.	$50,230	$92,851	$68,700
Books for College Libraries,3d ed.	$30,380	$23,088	$16,860
Chapter Topics	—	—	—
Subtotal	$1,775,255	$1,931,636	$1,906,030
Conferences and workshops
Continuing education	$54,270	$36,387	$20,870
National Conferences (’86, ’89)	$283,740	$413,143	$2,000
Preand Postconferences	$17,760	$9,940	$30,650
WESS Florence Conference	—	—	—
Teleconferences	—	$7,500	$3,000
RBMS Cambridge Conference	—	—	—
Planning workshops	—	—	$35,650
Subtotal	$355,770	$466,970	$92,170
Funded projects
NEH Project A	$22,960	$18,946	—
HBCU Mellon Project	—	$187	—
NEH/HBCU Project	$36,980	$32,990	—
Output Measures Manual	—	—	—
Planning workshops	$30,590	—	—
Subtotal	$90,530	$52,123	—
Total revenue	$2,482,705	$2,713,195	$2,319,430
Choicerevenue	$1,373,270	$1,433,607	$1,453,960
Total revenue without Choice	$1,109,435	$1,279,588	$865,470
Adjustments	—	$115	—
Adjusted total	$1,109,435	$1,279,703	$865,470

Sources of revenue

In comparing actual performance for 1989 with the budget, we can see that revenues (without Choice) were $170,000 over budget. Revenue from the Cincinnati Conference exceeded budget by $130,000, and nonperiodical publications revenue was $42,000 over budget. C&RL and C&RL News also exceeded revenue expectations, by $14,000 and $45,000 respectively. Revenue from membership dues and miscellaneous fees was at the budgeted level; membership increased by 6.3% in this conference year. Revenue from conferences and workshops was significantly below budget, as we subsidized one preconference (for HBCUs) and had a smaller than usual, one-day RBMS Preconference. Our funded projects also came in below budget, as revenues matched reduced expenses. Choice revenues were $60,000, or 4%, above the budget.

Objects of expense

Total expenses without Choice exceeded budget by less than $20,000, while Choice underexpended by about $70,000. Expenses for sections, chapters, and committees dropped below expectations. Section newsletters, however, were subsidized at a level above that budgeted. Combined, the sections and section newsletters cost about $68,000, up $7,000 from last year, but about $4,000 below budget. Advisory services expenses were slightly lower than budgeted. Membership expenses exceeded budget as staff prepared for the membership survey carried out in the fall. Statistics gathering has become a smooth and efficient operation; reduced staff time is reflected in greatly reduced expense. However, increased efforts to publicize awards, new awards, and endowment management greatly added to staff time and expense in the area of awards. For the first time in many years, a subsidy was needed to support C&RL News. The net result of all these dues-supported activities was that expenses were exactly at the budgeted level, but were $50,000 more than dues and miscellaneous revenue, from which they are supposed to be funded. The dues increase is expected to remedy that condition over the next few years.

Two projects were budgeted from the “fund balance.” These were: 1) the Output Measures Manual, where expenses for staff time exceeded budget, and 2) Special Grants Fund, where two projects—the Iowa Chapter program and the Membership Survey—were carried over to 1990, resulting in under-expenditure of budgeted funds.

As mentioned previously, Choice underspent its budget. C&RL was about on target, but C&RL News required a subsidy of $18,806. Although some price increases by suppliers and contractors were beyond our control, staff is working to reduce costs in 1990 in an effort to make the News self-supporting again.

Conferences and workshops were far over budget, but the overage is largely attributable to increased costs of the Cincinnati Conference. Funded projects were under budget. Funds incorrectly deferred in 1988 were credited in 1989 from the HBCU Mellon project.

All expenses, including staff costs and a share of ACRL general expenses were allocated to programs.

End-of-year financial picture

With revenues greatly exceeding budget and expenses only slightly above the budgeted figure, the Association ended the year with a net gain of about $150,000. Added to the previous fund balance, this leaves ACRL with a fund of $573,000. The mandated fund balance at this time is $466,000. At this point in the three-year cycle of ACRL finances, we are on the correct course.

Plans for 1989/1990

Top priority for the Association in 1990 is liaison activity. President Bill Moffett’s theme focuses on identifying a clear and coherent role for academic and research librarians in the higher education community. New association liaisons will be established and ACRL’s activities in the area will be carefully examined to discover how our history might yield insights to enhance and give new direction to these efforts. A membership survey will be completed and will form the basis for further planning for the association; membership retention efforts will be enhanced.

The 1990 Operating Plan includes these activities:

•Professional development: RBMS Cambridge Conference; local presentations; courses preceding the Chicago Conference; and an RBMS Preconference. A College Library Planning Activity is proposed. Some 15 programs are planned for Chicago this summer.

•Enhancing library service capability: the Historically Black College and University Planning Project will include a statistics collection activity. The new University Library Standards will be broadly disseminated. The Manual of Performance Measures will be published.

•Liaison: The Board and Presidents Boissé and Moffett selected as the theme for 1989 and 1990 the strengthening of relations between academic librarians and academic administrators. The non- ARL university library statistics will be collected.

•Publishing: The Accreditation Manual for Academic Libraries and the 1989 Non-ARL University Library Statistics will be published. The Research volume in the Publications in Librarianship series will appear. The Research Committee will propose several actions to encourage and support research.

Also in FY 1990, the first set of Special Grants implemented under the process set up last year for allocating unanticipated net revenue will be completed. Each year where the fund balance exceeds the mandated reserve, the Budget and Finance Committee will make a recommendation about implementing a Special Grants Fund. In 1989, there was no distribution of such funds, since performance did not exceed the budget and the Board had already decided to fund the Output Measures Manual from the fund balance. At the Midwinter Meeting, 1990, the Budget & Finance Committee will discuss funding for 1991.

EXPENSES
Objects of expense	1989 Budget	1989 Actual	1990 Budget
Membership activities
Membership services	$22,090	$40,093	$30,340
Executive Comm. & Board	$44,080	$1,287	$500
Statistics	$16,270	$6,932	$12,340
Advisory	$27,330	$22,227	$32,060
Standards	$7,070	$3,446	$8,480
Discussion Groups	$1,870	$3,191	$2,090
Awards	$11,150	$24,171	$20,150
Chapters	$50,030	$41,873	$51,250
Committees	$54,810	$35,325	$61,710
Sections	$45,650	$37,616	$50,620
Jobline	$1,510	$3,791	$2,490
Section newsletters	$25,990	$30,496	$24,460
Chapter Topics	$3,170	$701	$3,490
C&RL Newssubsidy	—	$18,806	$28,900
Subtotal	$311,020	$311,082	$383,850
Special projects, internal funding
Output Measures Manual	$24,790	$29,633	$25,790
Special grants fund	$19,500	$7,734	—
Subtotal	$44,290	$37,367	$25,790
Publications
Choice	$1,353,560	$1,280,121	$1,469,793
C&RL	$107,790	$105,820	$113,680
C&RL News	$205,070	$243,023	$227,760
RBML	$18,370	$16,552	$20,000
Fast Job Listing Service	$4,140	$7,218	$5,380
Nonperiodical pubs.	$28,100	$2,810	$44,560
Books for College Libraries,3d ed.	$5,280	$873	$1,320
Subtotal	$1,722,310	$1,656,417	$1,882,493
Conferences and workshops
Continuing education	$50,770	$43,835	$45,780
National Conference (’89)	$207,070	$280,577	$5,090
Preand Postconferences	$21,900	$15,135	$29,760
WESS Florence Conference	—	—	—
Teleconferences	—	—-	—
RBMS Cambridge Conference	$19,040	$23,796	$20,180
Planning workshops	—	—	—
Subtotal	$298,780	$363,343	$100,810
Funded projects
NEH Project A	$22,960	$18,945	—
HBCU Mellon Project	—	($6,367)	—
NEH/HBCU Project	$36,980	$32,990	—
Planning workshops	$30,590	—	—
Subtotal	$90,530	$45,568	—
Unallocated	—	($3,475)
Choice/ACRLallocation	($2,000)	—	—
Total expenses	$2,420,640	$2,410,302	$2,392,943
Total expenses without Choice	$1,067,080	$1,130,181	$923,150
Net	$42,355	$149,522	($57,680)

In comparing the 1989/90 budget with that for last year, it can be seen that Choice continues to be the single largest part of the overall budget, accounting for 62.6% of total ACRL revenues and 61.4% of expenses. The pie charts of revenue and expense without Choice show dues at 35.6% of revenues. Basic membership activities, which are in theory supported by dues, account for 41.6% of expenses and still exceed dues and miscellaneous revenue by $60,000. However, the full impact of the dues increase will not be realized until next year. Publications are 52.2% of revenues and 44.7% of expenses. 39.6% of revenues are from C&RL and C&RL News; 37% of expenses are for these two periodicals. There are no funded projects budgeted. Conference and workshop revenues are 10.6% of revenue and 10.9% of expenses.

Fund balances

Under the accrual system begun September 1, 1987, the ACRL and Choice fund balances are as follows:

8/31/89	8/31/90(est.)
ACRL	$572,948	$515,268
Choice	$682,513	$666,680

The ACRL Board has set as a goal for ACRL and for Choice the maintenance of a reserve fund equal to 50% of the average operating expenses over the preceding three years. These reserves are required for emergency expenses for either the division or the magazine. In the case of the division, the amount is only slightly greater than the cost of a national conference. ALA is considering requiring divisions to have in reserve an amount equal to the cost of activities such as national conferences, to avoid drawing on ALA general funds in advance of the activity. In the case of Choice, it is good business practice to maintain a reserve fund of at least 6 months’ expenses.

The Budget and Finance Committee took extraordinary pains to prepare a balanced budget for 1990 and to husband the excess revenue from Cincinnati to carry us through the two non-Conference years, while maintaining the desired fund balance. Keeping the annual budget in balance has become increasingly difficult. We hope the dues increase and recommendations from the Financial Development Task Force (Betsy Baker, Chair) will help with this situation.

In fiscal 1991, the new Operating Agreement between ALA and its divisions will go into effect. It will have a profound impact on ACRL. A Special Committee to Implement the Operating Agreement, chaired by Liz Salzer, will recommend steps for assuring a smooth transition. We will use our planning process and our financial planning principles: financial stability; growth in revenue, membership and programs; and prudent management, to guide us in developing and supporting an outstanding program for academic and research librarians.

ALA challenges the FBI

Angered by the withholding of pages, excerpts and in some cases, entire documents, the American Library Association has filed an appeal with the U.S. Department of Justice for “maximum possible disclosure” of FBI records pertaining to what is known as the “FBI Library Awareness Program.”

In its appeal, ALA calls the department’s initial review of the records “inadequate and charges that the FBI misused exemptions citing national security, privacy, and law enforcement concerns to avoid disclosing information that could prove embarrassing to the bureau.

“We feel we have been grossly misled by the FBI and lied to about the nature, scope and continuation of the FBI Library Awareness Program,” said ALA executive director Linda Crismond. “And, we feel librarians and the public have a right to learn the full scope of this most disturbing ‘investigation.’ ”

The appeal, filed by Crismond with assistant attorney general Stephen Markman, seeks the release of information that would:

•reveal the number and identities of libraries the FBI visited under the program;

•reveal information about 266 FBI background checks on librarians who refused to comply with and/or criticized federal agents’ requests for confidential library use information;

•expose possible “library awareness” investigations by FBI offices other than the New York Field Office, which the bureau has reported as the office of origin for all such investigations;

•explain the FBI’s contentions that several librarians have been targeted for agent development by Soviet intelligence agents and that background investigations on eight librarians revealed information “of some significance”;

•reveal other information excluded or obliterated for which a legitimate case for exemption cannot be made, or for which the “strong public interest for its disclosure” outweighs the reasons for exemption.

It was first revealed in 1987 that during the 1960s the FBI began a program to determine if

Soviet spies were using libraries to obtain technical and scientific data. Documents released by the FBI later revealed background checks on librarians who refused to supply federal agents with specific information about library users and records.

Since 1970, ALA has had a policy on “Confidentiality of Library Records.” Forty-two states and the District of Columbia now have statutes protecting the privacy of library records.